


Valid Argument

by ClagJanetSMK



Series: A Pandemic Alphabet [22]
Category: Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Genre: 2020 Lockdown Stories, Even though now it's 2021, Friendship, Not even one woo, Post tag Triumvirate, Romance advice, V is for Valentine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29447676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClagJanetSMK/pseuds/ClagJanetSMK
Summary: Amanda and Francine discuss Amanda's love life, or rather her lack of one.  Set after the tag for Triumvirate.
Series: A Pandemic Alphabet [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031118
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Valid Argument

**Author's Note:**

> A Valentine's offering taken from the FB challenge and the next in my pandemic alphabet.

"Well, isn't this cozy?"

Francine looked up and glared at Amanda who was standing in the doorway of her hospital room, holding a brown paper bag with a teasing smile.

"Very funny," she sighed. "I suppose you've been waiting for this to happen just so you could pay me back for that."

"Aw, c'mon Francine," said Amanda a little more seriously as she walked into the room and came to stand beside the bed. "I wouldn't have wished this on my worst enemy."

"Wait – you mean I'm not your worst enemy?" said Francine, holding a hand to her heart in mock despair. "Where did I go wrong?"

"If you were, would I have brought you dinner from the Blue Fox?" asked Amanda, smiling again as she dug into the paper bag and pulled out a takeout box.

"If I were, you would, just so that you could poison it," said Francine, reaching out for the box. She opened the lid and inhaled it, groaning with appreciation. "Please tell me it's not poisoned. You know what – don't tell me. I'll die happily eating this."

"So how are you feeling?" asked Amanda, ignoring the question as she passed the plastic cutlery to Francine and then settled into the bedside chair.

"I've been better," Francine shrugged. "But the pain drugs are great, and the doc said it wasn't too serious."

"Not too serious?" repeated Amanda in an exasperated tone. "You got shot, for heaven's sake. How is that not serious?"

Francine held up a finger while she savoured the mouthful of the braised chicken dish before swallowing and letting out a sigh of happiness. "This tastes even better after 48 hours of hospital food," she said. "And this" – she gestured at her leg – "isn't that serious because it was mostly a graze and nothing important got damaged. I'll probably have a scar, but at least it'll be hidden by my clothes."

Amanda shook her head in amazement. "You spies and your stiff upper lip. If someone shot me, I wouldn't be so relaxed about it."

"All part of the job," said Francine. "Although I'd be lying if I didn't say it's one of my least favorite parts." She lifted another forkful of food to her mouth, pausing only to say "This is really good, Amanda. Thank you."

"It's the least I could do," replied Amanda. "It's my fault you got shot after all."

Francine shook her head furiously as she chewed. "Don't be ridiculous," she finally managed to say. "None of what happened the last few days was your fault. You know that's not how it works."

"Well, I still feel bad for running off and leaving you there. If I'd known you were hurt…"

"You don't get to feel bad for obeying orders," Francine shot back. "I told you to go get the backup car and you did. What could you have done if you'd stayed? Nothing. You could have just made it a lot worse and maybe left your boys with no mother."

"I guess you're right," sighed Amanda.

"If you don't know I'm always right after all these years, I haven't been doing it right," said Francine with a smug smile.

"So you'd have been wrong?" teased Amanda. "You've been wrong and right at the same time?"

"Just let me eat in peace and stop trying to talk circles around me," complained Francine. "I barely follow you when I'm _not_ drugged."

Amanda sat back in her chair with a grin. Based on her appetite alone, Francine really was already back to her old self, but it was still nice to hear her being sarcastic. Within a few minutes, she had finished the dinner and lay back on the pillows with a contented look.

"That really was wonderful, Amanda. How did you know that's my favorite dish?"

"Lee told me," Amanda answered. "He remembered you raving about it when you were on that surveillance job with Dr. Zernov. I'm glad he knew – I wouldn't have had the faintest idea what to order."

"You should get him to take you there for Valentine's Day," said Francine. "If you can ever get a reservation this close to it."

"Valentine's Day?" squeaked Amanda. "Oh no! Oh Francine, you know we're not… Lee and I aren't… we're not involved."

"I don't know why not," Francine riposted. "It's obvious the man has the hots for you."

"For me?" Amanda was taken aback. "That's not true – we're just friends. Good friends. Very good friends," she added when Francine continued to smile at her knowingly.

"Amanda, I've known Lee Stetson for years. I've watched him date, I've watched him hit on women from the steno pool to Timbuktu – I've dated him myself. And I can assure you, he has never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. All starry-eyed and sappy. It's nauseating."

"He doesn't!" Amanda protested. "He never looks at me like that."

"You don't see it because he's not doing it when you're looking," countered Francine. "He thinks he's being all suave and casual but anyone who knows him knows better."

"I-I-I don't know what to say to that," Amanda murmured. "He's always been clear that we're just friends and nothing more. Even if sometimes stuff happens on a case, it's not real - it's just for our covers." Her voice drifted off.

Francine rolled her eyes. "My God, Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty moved faster than you two. Are you seriously telling me he's never asked you out?"

"Well… I mean we've had evenings out together… He took me to the opera that one time and we've had a few dinners…He came to my reunion with me last night…" Amada faltered in the face of Francine's rising eyebrows.

"Let's not forget romantic sunset cruises on the Mata Hari," Francine added.

"But they weren't _dates_ ," protested Amanda. "We're just friends."

"Such good friends that he couldn't stop calling you every five minutes when we were the tennis tournament. Do you know how often I had to hear 'Amanda wouldn't do it that way' during that case? Why do you think I was teasing you on the phone so hard that day? You should have seen him wriggling like a fish on a hook."

"He's just used to having me around, that's all. He's used to the way we bounce ideas off each other." Even to her own ears, Amanda didn't sound convinced.

"Do you want to be more than friends?" asked Francine bluntly.

"Whaaat?" Amanda's eyes went wide and the pink rose in her cheeks.

"Do. You. Want. To. Date. Lee?" Francine enunciated out the question as if she was talking to a small child.

"We can't date! We're partners!" said Amanda.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Francine. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I-I-I… I'm not going to do anything," Amanda spluttered. "If Lee wanted to date me, he'd have asked."

"Amanda King, I have fought my whole life to prove myself as a woman in a man's world. You don't have to wait around for him to ask you! Ask him first! Or at least make it clear you are ready and willing! If he flirts, flirt back! If he takes a step back, take two steps forward! Let him know he's not in charge – if you're equal partners, well then, be equal."

"You must be on very strong drugs," commented Amanda. "Normal Francine would never be telling me I had a chance with Lee."

"Two years ago, I would definitely have agreed with that, but you're not that simple housewife anymore and he's not that playboy I knew in his twenties. Don't get me wrong, he hasn't changed that much – there's no way it will last."

"Well, thank you so much," murmured Amanda, earning an appreciative smile from Francine.

"Oh, you know what I mean – he's a man who enjoys the chase too much to give it up. But let me tell you from experience: while it lasts, being chased by Lee is something every woman should get to experience. You should take the chance – what do you have to lose?"

"Our friendship? Our partnership? His respect? My job?" Amanda listed off all the possibilities.

Francine gazed at her thoughtfully. "I don't think you could lose his respect, but he is pretty old-fashioned when it comes to wooing people."

"Wooing?" asked Amanda incredulously. "What happened to 'it'll never last'?"

"Would you rather I say 'seducing'?" asked Francine.

"No!" Amanda backtracked, looking mortified. "Wooing is fine. Even though there's no wooing going on. Not even one woo."

Francine straightened up and pointed a finger at her. "You feel bad about me being in here, right?" Amanda nodded. "Okay, then you owe me a favour."

"I brought you dinner!"

Francine waved her hand airily. "You'd have done that for anyone. No, you owe me the favor of being right again. You have to kiss him and prove that I'm right."

"Oh sure," Amanda rolled her eyes. "Lee wouldn't think that was weird at all – me just walking up and kissing him. He'd think I was drugged again."

"Honestly, Amanda, I'm trying to help you here. Stop thinking up reasons not to take my advice!"

"Well, your advice is to make a fool of myself!"

"Fine! But you know I'm right! The next time he does something all flirty, if you don't make the first move and lay one on him, you'll only have yourself to blame if he keeps stringing you along." Francine leaned back on her pillows with a smug expression. "You know I'm right."

"You know I'm right" Amanda mimicked her in childish tones. "You are so annoying! I can't believe I brought you dessert as well!"

Francine bolted upright, wincing slightly as her leg moved. "You're only mentioning this now?"

Amanda reached down and picked up the paper bag from where she had placed it beside her chair. "Well, maybe I've decided you don't deserve it after all."

"Amanda! I took a bullet for you!"

Amanda gasped and pulled the bag closer to her chest. "I cannot believe you're trying to play that card! You said it was part of your job!" She pulled out the takeout box and gazed at it thoughtfully. "You know, my mother would really enjoy this chocolate lava cake."

"Amanda!"

Amanda grinned and passed her the container. "You know I wouldn't do that to you."

Francine seized it and moved it out of her reach. "No, I don't know that. You're the queen of delayed gratification. You won't even try and date Lee – you're worse than June Gale. At least Rex Morgan knew she was interested."

"Shut up and eat your cake."

* * *

_A few weeks later…_

_Lee vanished into the darkness leaving her almost giddy. She reached up to touch her lips, almost able to still feel the warmth of his kiss. Her smile widened as she relived the last few minutes over._

" _Amanda," he'd begun and she'd done it - she'd leaned in and made that first move just like Francine had told her to. If only her mother hadn't come home at exactly the wrong moment… But he hadn't taken the opportunity to escape - he'd waited there in the dark, waited to deliver a tantalizing kiss and a silent promise of more to come…_

_Amanda looked up at the stars and laughed softly. "Darn it, Francine, you're always right."_


End file.
